Dua Lipa is said to have finally begun work on her London home’s mega basement following a three-year long legal battle.
The Training Season singer, 28, bought the property back in 2017 for for £6.75 million when she was just 22 years old.
But after submitting proposal plans in December 2021 to build a pool, steam room, shower, changing room, relaxation zone, cinema, studio waiting area and lobby, she landed in hot water with conservationists and the local council.
Now in snaps obtained by The Sun building has commenced with builders digging under the house and tearing out the internal walls.
Last year Dua was given the go ahead but work on the site had to kept to a minimum and equipment must be mounted with ‘anti-vibration isolators’ to avoid disturbing the neighbours.
Dua Lipa, 28, is said to have finally begun work on her London home’s mega basement following a three-year long legal battle
The Training Season singer bought the property back in 2017 for for £6.75 million when she was just 22 years old
A source told The Sun last year: ‘Dua’s plans for her house are epic and after four years she has finally started looking for builders to start work on her music studio, pool, gym, cinema and chillout area.
‘She has to adhere to some pretty strict agreements because of how much objection there was to her plans over the loss of green space.
‘Her building team will have to keep the sounds of power tools to a whisper and all the equipment must be mounted with anti-vibration insulators.
‘No one should be aware any work is taking place and Dua’s neighbours could kick up a stink if they are. Dua doesn’t want to cause any annoyance and she is looking forward to making her house a home.’
The Levitating pop star picked up the North London pad and submitted plans for renovations, but the scheme has been going backwards and forwards with her local council ever since.
At the time, she landed in hot water with conservationists over her Grand Designs-style plans for a massive makeover of her home including a basement swimming pool – complete with a ‘chill-out area’.
Last year Dua was given the go ahead but work on the site had to kept to a minimum and equipment must be mounted with ‘anti-vibration isolators’ to avoid disturbing the neighbours
But after submitting proposal plans in December 2021 to build a pool, steam room, shower, changing room, relaxation zone, cinema, studio waiting area and lobby, she landed in hot water with conservationists and the local council
The first floor would have had a master bedroom and master bathroom, dressing room, linen room with two guest bedrooms and a landing on the second floor
As well plans for an extensive renovation, the songstress wants to chop down an ornamental maple and a weeping willow tree and carry out repairs to a traditional boundary wall
As well as her other plans, she also wanted to demolish a rear extension and build a new one to create a family room with a green roof – which planners at the local council and conservationists opposed.
As well plans for an extensive renovation, the songstress wanted to chop down an ornamental maple and a weeping willow tree and carry out repairs to a traditional boundary wall at the three-storey pad.
Under the former proposals, Dua’s new-look home would’ve boast a ground floor entrance hall, dining room, drawing room, pantry, library, powder room and garden room.
The first floor would have had a master bedroom and master bathroom, dressing room, linen room with two guest bedrooms and a landing on the second floor.
Exterior works included a new chimney stack from the roofline upwards, replacement cast iron railings and new timber-framed windows to replace UPVC ones.
She was also planning a garden makeover ‘in the romantic Arts & Crafts tradition’ with a new lawn, front terrace, planted courtyard, sunken terrace, balcony garden, kitchen terrace, sunny terrace and trellis.
There would’ve also be a new stepped path connecting the front and rear garden, a pleached hornbeam hedge against the boundary wall to create a sheltered internal courtyard area and new automated sliding gates at the entrance.
Dua applied for planning permission for the proposed works because the property lies in a designated conservation area but a local neighbourhood forum objected to the application.
In a letter to the council, secretary Nancy Mayo wrote in December 2021: ‘The forum notes that the pre-application advice received is that the existing rear extension should not be demolished as it positively contributes to the character and appearance of the host dwelling.
‘Boundary walls constructed from lava bricks (also known as clinker bricks) are a very important feature of the Conservation Area. The ivy-clad lava brick boundary walls are notable features of the streetscapes.
‘The Forum objects to the felling of the willow tree and the re-building, or any potential harm, to the boundary walls.
Dua has previously shared glimpses of her multi-million pound home including a sneak peek of her bedroom and roll-top bath
The singer posed for a snap in what appeared to be her living room with graphic neon lighting artwork and a wooden mirror
‘The Forum notes that this site is very close to the underground boundary stream and the spring line and that the willow tree may have been planted to address what could have been a soggy garden. A natural wildlife pond would therefore be entirely appropriate in such a location.
‘Since the application does not appear to be compliant with all of the relevant Neighbourhood Plan policies, the Forum therefore wishes to object to the application.’
In its pre-application advice, Camden Council added: ‘Officers consider that the replacement of the rear extension and infill of the existing side setback, with a larger and modern extension, would harm the integrity of the building and its contribution to the conservation area.
‘Officers would strongly resist the demolition of the existing rear extension as it positively contributes to the character and appearance of the host dwelling due to its carefully considered design and use of materials.’
In a design statement, her planning agent said: ‘The challenge presented by our client was to increase the floor area [of the house] in a similar way as other properties in the area, while preserving and respecting the qualities of the original house and its significant presence on a corner within the conservation area.
‘The replacement extension is to allow better connection from the family room to garden and has been carefully designed to prevent issues of privacy arising.
‘It is of a similar size and scale to the existing being removed and remains subservient to the existing house. The house is the main event, there is no intention to compete for the viewer’s attention with a busy or grand solution.
‘The new lower garden will be accessed from new studio workspaces in the basement to allow work activity to be separate from the rest of the house. The boundary retaining wall on the west side is to be re-faced with red brick which is more in character with the conservation area than the existing yellow brick.
‘The owners seek not only to develop the house within the law, but to improve and enhance the property, with sensitive design interventions that are in keeping with the area, to improve its environmental performance and to secure the future wellbeing of the house.’
